Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Christmas crafternoon version 2.013

On Saturday we went to the local Carols in the Park. I just love a carol. My husband says I turn into my sisters when I sing carols. I belt them out like no one is listening. Sadly, I lack my sisters' singing talents, but it is the one night of the year that I simply don't care.

On Sunday the kids and I made their little trinkets for their classmates. As it is the twins last ever year at day care, they convinced me to help them make pressies for their friends too. We had about 60 to make in all. Last year we did made these reindeer noses, so I didn't want to do that again, even though they were easy and very popular with the recipients!

We were going to make these Christmas trees but a trial run for the children at the Thanksgiving weekend revealed that Aldi probably doesn't have enough white marshmellows for 60 of those!

Then I found these Christmas ornaments but I imagined the kids would get sick of threading beads and I would end up having to do them all. And I figured their families have enough home-made by children ornaments on their trees that they may not appreciate another from us.

So we did this instead: Christmas pencils with home-made gift tags. So simple.

All you need is some cardboard, some Christmas ribbon and some novelty Christmas pencils like the ones Dew Drop is holding up here. We got ours for 50c each from the $2 shop.

Grab a big piece of cardboard and measure up your gift tags. Cut them out. Distribute the correct number to each child and have them decorate them. We used Christmas sticks, textas, little squares of daycare paintings, and old Christmas cards to decorate ours. Punch a hole in each one.

Next you need to cut up the ribbons like Nugget is doing in this picture

And then you tie the gift tags onto the pencils with a little ribbon bow. So simple that the kids can do them on their own once you have done some preparation for them.

On Monday the kids handed out their Christmas trinkets, well, Nugget, Dew Drop and the Minx handed theirs out on Monday. Doo Dah still has his in his bag!

We'll pick up the Advent activities again on Thursday when we go to see the Christmas lights.

How do you manage the lead up to Christmas?

* I have regretted it ever since. The kids leap out of bed, take their dose of sugar and bounce off the walls all morning.

2 comments:

I think you turn into your other sister when you craft... The class Christmas gift is not a 'thing' in our neck of the woods, and so I am let off the hook. For which I am eternally grateful. I think your pencils look fab! Save one for Aunty Al. You know how I love a quality stationery item.

Love it. I didn't get my advent calendar done either this year, so we're rehashing some little Christmas advent books that mum gave the kids years ago. Not quite the crafty advent I 'do planned, but the kids certainly don't care! Frog and I were planning on making reindeer food for kinder friends this year, but someone pipped us at the post and gave reindeer food out today! Lucky we hadn't made them yet ! Love your pencil idea a lot !!